You’re looking for the perfect place to rent. You need something cheap, but with enough room and in a good location. Then you see it. Three bedrooms, the perfect location and the rent is unbelievably low! They only left their email address to contact them, so you give it a try. They respond saying that the rent is indeed that low, but they need money up front — preferably by a wire service like MoneyGram or Western Union. When you ask for a phone number or to meet them, they can’t for some reason. Maybe they are out of the country, or maybe they tell you they’re deaf. Something doesn’t seem right, but the price is so good, and you need the place, so you send in the money, never to see it, the person you emailed, or even the apartment, because it never existed.
Sadly this sort of scam does hit people just looking for a home. Fortunately, there are some really simple ways to avoid problems:
- Rent from people you can meet. Scammers often live far away from the place they are renting. They often post places around the country.
- Verify what you read online. You can always use other sources to make sure the address your looking at is an apartment, condo or house, not a pizzeria or store.
- Do they want money before you meet or see the property? Is the alleged landlord asking for money (usually a wire transfer as outlined below) after only an exchange of emails? If so, you may be getting scammed.
- Wire transfers have their purposes, but they are notoriously abused by internet criminals. If someone insists on using a service like Western Union, it’s probably a scam.
- NuShack acts only as a listing service. We don’t actually handle the transactions or guarantee them. If someone claims nuShack will back up their transaction, do not proceed and report them to us.
- Don’t give out your personal details. This is true anywhere on or off the internet. If someone starts asking for your bank account number, run.
- Landlords aren’t immune. Be careful when tenants offer you cashier’s checks, often for more than the amount of the rent. They’re often fake, and the banks will cash them, then come back to you for the money when the check doesn’t clear.
If you suspect a scam, report the listing to nuShack on our contact page. Be sure to include the URL you suspect of a problem.
You can also contact the authorities, such as the FTC or Internet Fraud Complaint Center or your local police.
